The Fairy King and the Saltman
by Sorrywhatnow
Summary: Elena does not want to be a vampire. Damon think she just needs to deal with it. Jeremy is all over the place. When a pink door appears in Elena's bedroom the three of them find themselves on a mission to find the cure to vampirism. They just need to navigate the war between the Fairies and the Sky Pirates first.
1. The Pink Door

The Fairy King and the Saltman

Chapter 1

The Pink Door

Drops of blood ran along the curve of her lip, pooling into an orb before falling towards the concrete. Damon watched it, the call of his hunger and his lust roaring in his ears. His eyes fixed onto hers, as beautiful as they had ever been, now rimmed with dark veins. He saw her fangs, stained crimson, and he groaned. The body fell limp in her arms but Elena clutched it tight, so tight that Damon could not tell if it were a man or a woman. She wanted more. She was looking at him as though she were asking him if it was okay to lose control entirely. He wanted her to have more. He wanted her to have everything. He ached for it.

'NO.'

His lust for blood, his lust for Elena, was smacked aside. Stefan was there, pulling the body out of Elena's grasping hands. She pushed him, crying out but she was only newly born. She had not found her strength. Stefan gripped her, his own shoulders taut with a tension that betrayed his own war. Damon rolled his eyes; it amazed him how Stefan always had to be the hero, even though having a Ripper close by a fresh corpse was just asking for more trouble.

'Get her out of here Stef,' said Damon, not moving from the shadows.

Elena's eyes met his over Stefan's shoulder, her silent plea obvious. Damon simply stared at her until Stefan had bundled her away. She had made her choice. She had chosen Stefan and Damon could not muster the energy to be second best for eternity. For it would be eternity now that Elena had completed the transition. Damon closed his eyes. He had dreamed of this day since he had first met her. The thought of everything Elena had been, but stronger, faster and eternal made Damon's groin ache and his dead heart threaten a few beats. But she would not be his. She would never allow herself to give in and it was time he accepted it.

When Damon opened his eyes again they fell on the body. It was a woman that he vaguely recognised. Her eyes were still wide and her throat had been pricked open delicately. It was an impressive first kill. For a moment, Damon almost felt proud. Even if he could only watch Elena's progress from a distance, he still wanted her to be the good sort of vampire. The fun and classy sort, none of that yanking peoples heads off.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and Damon flipped it open:

Elena too scared to go home. Thought she might hurt Jer. She wants you to check on him?

Damon sighed. She wants? Well, maybe Damon didn't want to give her what she wanted. Maybe Damon wanted to get away from the lot of them and go back to how things had been. Damon shoved his phone back into his pocket and turned his back on the corpse. He took three steps and then he laughed. He laughed so hard he had to lean against the wall. Things had been dark before Elena, dark and lonely. He could never go back there. Muttering under his breath, Damon stomped over to Elena's victim, threw the body over his shoulder and started off towards the Gilbert house. One last time, he would give Elena what she wanted.

Jeremy jumped to his feet when he heard the door slam shut. His eyes were wide and rimmed with red. His hair looked ridiculous. Damon made a face.

'It's 3am, go to bed Jer.'

Jeremy shot him a look but said nothing. He slouched back into the lounge and Damon pinched the bridge of his nose. He had somehow been allocated the job of babysitter and he was not in anywhere close to the right mood for it. He was hurting and he was angry. The last time Jeremy had encountered him at such a time, things had not ended well. Surely that alone was enough to justify turning around and walking straight back out the door?

Damon took a silent step forward and peered around the corner. Jeremy was hunched over the coffee table, his unblinking eyes fixed on his mobile. He was rocking gently, his feet tapping and his fingers drumming on his knees. He looked on the verge of doing something incredibly reckless. Damon was all for reckless behaviour, but he had also begun to learn that there was a time and a place for it. Elena's transition into a vampire was not such a time. Damon sighed. Dredging up memories of snapping Elena's little brothers neck was not going to achieve anything. He knew that something like that would never happen again, just as he knew that he could not leave Jeremy alone; not now.

'Got any drink?' he said, stepping into the lounge proper.

Jer did not look up at him as he said, 'Beer in the fridge.'

Damon frowned. 'Got anything stronger?'

He did not respond for a while. He continued to rock and Damon was about to cuff him around the head when Jer's fingers stopped drumming. He glanced up, blinking as though he had not realised that Damon was there. 'What are you doing here? Where's Elena?'

The image of the blood on Elena's lips flashed in Damon's mind. 'Seriously Jer, you're going to want something stronger.'

Somehow, Jeremy's face turned even paler. His hands clutched the arm of the chair and his voice was little more than a croak. 'She's dead?'

Damon would never admit it out loud, but he actually felt really bad for the kid. 'No, he said quickly, 'the other thing.'

Jeremy swallowed, his adam's apple bobbed and his lips were pressed into a white line. Then he took a breath and nodded, a little colour returning to his cheeks. 'Alaric's stuff is still in his cupboard.'

_Alaric_. Damon's dark mood turned even darker but he stepped into the kitchen anyway and pulled out one of Alaric's bottles of bourbon. He grabbed two glasses and placed one in front of Jeremy. He poured them both a drink and sank onto the free sofa.

'Cheers,' he said his expression grim. He downed it in one and looked over at Jeremy. To Damon's surprise, Jeremy downed his too. He made a face as it hit the back of his throat and then he relaxed back into his chair and puffed out his cheeks.

Damon was kind of impressed. 'I thought you'd be more upset to hear about your sister's recent transition.'

Jeremy turned his head to face Damon, his brow furrowed in thought. He shrugged, 'Better a vampire than her being gone forever.'

Damon snorted, 'Oh, I get that. I get that completely. He remembered another time when Elena had had blood smeared over her lips; his blood, which he had forced down her throat. Damon had learnt his lesson and he would never force anything like that on her again but he was glad that she was not dead. The world without her would be no world at all.

'So,' said Jeremy, 'what happened?'

Damon shook his head. 'What was always going to happen. Stefan was a fool for ever trying to stop it. She fed, Jeremy. The hunger for blood overcame her and she lost control.'

'Who...'

'I don't know her name.' He pictured the corpse's face. 'A blonde woman. I've seen her in the Grill a few times.'

'Right,' said Jeremy, his voice tight 'And where is Elena now?'

'Oh, she's probably drowning in a pool of self-loathing and guilt. Stefan is probably having the time of his life.'

Jeremy narrowed his eyes. '_Damon_.'

'She's at the boarding house. She didn't want to come near you until she got ii back under control.'

A sharp ringing interrupted them and Jeremy was answering his phone before Damon had even realised what the sound was.

'Bonnie?' said the younger Gilbert. Damon sat forward, able to hear Bonnie's voice on the other side of the line.

'Jeremy,' she said, 'I think I've found something.'

Jeremy's shoulders slumped, 'It's too late. She fed Bonnie, it's too late.'

Silence, and then. 'This could still work. It's a cure for vampirism, not for the transition phase. It's a spell. I'm going to try it out. Just keep Elena close, okay?'

'Wait...Bonnie...'

There was a click and the line died. Jeremy stared at his phone and Damon wanted to smash all their stupid heads together.

'There is no cure for vampirism. She's wasting her time.'

The door flew open and Elena staggered in. She looked half-wild and she was still covered in blood. Jeremy threw himself towards her but Elena held up her hands.

'No Jer,' her voice was ragged, 'please don't come too close.'

Jeremy jerked to a halt, his expression like a wounded puppy. Elena tried to smile at him but she hadn't yet mastered her fangs and she whimpered as she covered her mouth. Damon watched them both. He had not moved.

'Where's Stefan?' he said.

'At yours,' something flashed in her eyes when she looked at him.

'What? So I have to babysit the pair of you now?'

Two pairs of Gilbert eyes glared at him. Elena's filled with sudden tears that she swiped away angrily. She opened her mouth, and then clamped it shut before shaking her head and disappearing up stairs.

Jeremy took a step after her, 'Elena...'

Damon pushed himself to his feet, shaking his head and feeling more exhausted than he had ever felt since his own day of transition.

'I'll go,' he said.

Jeremy hesitated. He looked Damon in the eye and then he nodded. 'I think you're the only one that can help her now.'

Damon's eyes widened but Jeremy was already returning to his spot by the coffee table.

'Give me a shout if she wants anything,' said Jeremy, oblivious to the bomb he had just dropped on Damon's head. Damon had imagined many worlds where he was the only one that Elena needed but he knew it would never be reality. Still, he thought, it was good to know that somebody thought it might be possible. Making a mental note to himself to share bourbon with Elena's little brother again, Damon headed up the stairs and stepped into Elena's bedroom.

Elena whirled on him as soon as the first floorboard creaked beneath his boot.

'You,' she cried, 'could try and be a bit more...more...'

'More what, Elena?' Damon snapped. A part of him wanted to be gentle with her, but something held him back. 'More loving? More comforting? That's Stefan's job now.'

She drew in a sharp breath, the coldness of his tone halting her tears. 'That's not fair.'

'It is fair, actually.'

'So, what,' she took a step closer to him and he wished that she wouldn't, 'you're just going to pretend that you don't care for me? Pretend that we're not friends...that we're not connected...'

'I'm here, aren't I? Like you asked.'

'You're not. You're not here. I don't see you in there. I don't see my Damon...'

Damon's eyes narrowed. 'You made your choice, Elena...'

'Because you asked me too...'

'I'm not blaming you for it,' Damon roared. Elena glared at him, her expression very familiar. Damon took a breath. 'I'm not blaming you Elena, but you're the one that said you had to let me go.' She closed her eyes and Damon's voice lowered to a whisper. 'So let me go.'

Elena did not open her eyes for a long time after that but Damon found himself fixated on them anyway. When her eyes were closed he could let his love for her shine from his own. Then she turned away from him and Damon felt numb. He watched her settle herself on her window seat and pull her knees up under her chin. It was hard to believe that she was a vampire when he had seen her sit there so often as a human.

'Why aren't you with Stefan?' said Damon, venturing into the silence.

'I can't do it.'

'What?'

Her eyes drifted towards her mirror and Damon knew that she was looking at the pictures of her parents, and of Jenna. He knew that she was torturing herself.

'I can't do it his way, Damon. All this time I've wanted you to be the better man...but you're a vampire and I think I'm starting to understand it now. This is who you are and I should never have expected you to fight it the way that you have.' She turned brown orbs to him. 'I'm sorry, Damon.'

Damon could not say anything. He feared all his hard work was about to be undone.

'I can't do it...' Fresh tears spilled from Elena's eyes and her shoulders shook, 'I can't do it.'

He was sitting beside her before he could think to stop and his fears were confirmed. He could not leave her, he could not ignore her and he could not punish her. He loved her in that way that made him a fool, he knew, but when he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close it felt right. She was no longer warm and her heart was still, but Damon almost preferred it that way. They were more equal now.

He held her as she cried and Elena pressed into him. One hand was on his chest and her nose brushed his collarbone as she buried her face into his neck. Her hot tears were wet on his skin as were her lips as she kissed him lightly. Her hand ran up his neck and curled into his hair as her lips planted another kiss in the hollow of his throat. Damon felt himself straining against his jeans.

'Elena...' he growled.

She licked his ear and then she pulled herself up onto his lap, pressing her body against his as her lips crashed against his mouth.

'Stop...' he breathed into her mouth.

There was a bang and Elena was thrown backwards.

'What the hell?'

Damon stared in wonder. A door had appeared in the middle of Elena's bedroom. A pink door with nothing on either side. Elena scrambled away from it, her own eyes wide with terror. Then they heard thumping on the stairs and Jeremy burst into the room.

'Bonnie did it,' he cried, before he noticed the door, 'Whoa.'

Damon stood, 'Bonnie did what, exactly? This house has way too many doors as it is.'

'No...' Jeremy was smiling. He stepped closer to the door, and then grinned at Elena, 'the cure is through this.'

Damon felt his head ache. 'What?'

'What cure?' Elena got to her feet and there was hope in her eyes.

'This is ridiculous,' said Damon. 'You,' he pointed at Jeremy, 'tell the witch to stop messing with things she doesn't understand. And you...' Elena looked at him, her lips still swollen from kissing multiple inches of his skin. His eyes narrowed. 'I don't know what I'm going to do with you.'

She _smirked_ at him. Damon blinked and it was gone, but Elena Gilbert had smirked at him in a way that could only be described as suggestive, having only recently been attaching her hip bones to his. Damon ran a hand over his eyes.

'I need to get out of here,' he said.

Jeremy barred the door.

Damon raised an eyebrow, 'Really?'

'What if it works Damon? What if she can be human again?'

'Then whoopee for her.'

'Why don't we find out?'

Damon and Jeremy both looked at her in time to see her pull the door open and step through it. Elena vanished.

'_Really?_' Damon swore.

Jeremy looked stricken. He gaped at the door before barging past Damon and leaping after his sister so that Damon stood alone. He tried to tell himself that he was grateful to be free of the pair of idiots. He turned away from the stupid door that stupid Bonnie had stupidly made appear. He tried to walk down the stairs and out the _normal_ door but for some reason he had not moved.

The pink monstrosity shimmered before him and the corner began to fade.

'This cannot be happening,' said Damon to himself as he stepped through it too. He felt the world press in around him and then he soared.

AN: Please review. It makes my life.

I'm away until Tuesday so this won't be updated until the end of next week at the earliest. Hope you enjoy?

This is dedicated to Lala because she is awesome.


	2. The Cloud Palace

Chapter 2

The Cloud Palace

Elena landed with a soft bump.

She blinked, her voice lost somewhere behind her. All she could do was stare. She was sitting on what looked like pink candy floss. Her legs were sprawled in front of her and her jeans were covered in wisps of the stuff. She pressed against it with her hands and it was soft and springy. Other than the candy floss, all she could see was blue sky and other pink puffs off in the distance. The pink door was nowhere to be seen.

Elena did not move. Her hunger for both blood and for Damon Salvatore was forgotten in her fear. She could not help thinking that the door had led her into another world but surely that was impossible? There was only one world, one reality. It was a reality that had become dark and miserable but it was her reality nonetheless. Then Elena remembered that there had once been a time when she had not believed in vampires. She ran her tongue along the sharp edge of one of her new fangs and she laughed.

There was a loud yelp and Jeremy landed beside her. Elena's first thought was relief; she did not want to be alone. She watched his eyes widen and she smiled with affection but then she caught the scent of him and she tensed.

'What the hell?' said Jeremy jumping to his feet and spinning on the spot.

Elena could only shrug. She took a deep breath and knew that she was okay. She had fed and the hunger had eased. She was sure that she could control it for a little while. She tried to blink away the memory of the blonde woman and her blood, not because she regretted it but because she had enjoyed it. She had enjoyed it more than she ever could have imagined.

When Elena looked back at Jeremy, she jerked to her feet, 'Jer,' she cried, 'you're sinking.'

'Huh?' he looked down, 'Ah!'

The candy floss was as high as his knees and Elena yanked him up with her new strength. Jeremy clung to her.

'Why aren't _you_ sinking?' he cried, glaring at the unstable flooring.

'I'm lighter than you. That must be it.'

Jeremy shook his head, 'Bonnie said she had found the cure Elena. I would never have said anything if I knew we would end up...well, wherever the hell we are.'

'It's okay Jer, both of you were just trying to help.' Elena patted his arm.

Of course, it was not okay. Elena had no idea where they were or where they could go. If they were left for too long then she would start to get hungry again. She glanced at the ring on her finger. She would take it off if it was the only way she could stop herself from hurting Jeremy, but then he would sink anyway. It was all the opposite of okay and Elena found her eyes drifting upwards. Jeremy had followed her but Damon had not.

Puffing out her cheeks, Elena looked at her brother, 'We should move?'

'Move where?' said Jeremy, 'this stuff,' he jerked his chin at the floss, 'is all there is.'

'Then we walk until we find something else. Unless you have a better idea?'

Jeremy nodded, 'we stay here until Bonnie figures out she did something wrong and rescues us.'

'And what if she doesn't?'

'Then...' Jeremy's mouth hung open. Elena could see the frustration in his tired eyes and her dead heart went out to him. She knew she would take all the pain in the world if it meant that she could give her brother happiness.

Elena tugged on his sleeve and grinned at him, 'Come on, or I'll let you go.'

Jeremy shot Elena a look but his expression softened when he saw that she was smiling. He pushed her lightly, 'don't you dare.'

Before Elena could turn, she sensed something, something that her new vampirism picked up on. So when she turned to find that they had been joined by a third figure, she was not surprised. She froze and a few seconds later she felt Jeremy tense beside her.

Just ahead of them stood a young girl; she was tall and slim with hair so blonde it seemed to glow. Her emerald green eyes were narrowed and her full red lips were drawn in a tight line.

'Who are you?' she said, her voice girlish and musical.

Elena hesitated. She felt something was off about this girl and she did not want to give too much away too quickly. She had dealt with enough villains to have learnt that much and she thought it would be best to treat this girl as a villain.

'I'm Jeremy Gilbert and this is my sister, Elena. She's a vampire.'

Elena gaped at her brother but one look was all she needed to confirm that the girl was more than she seemed. Jeremy's jaw drooped and his eyes had glassed over. His cheeks were flushed as he stared. The girl was wearing a short dress of almost see-through fabric. Elena supposed that Jeremy's daze might have been caused by her wardrobe alone, but she suspected something more; compulsion.

'You're a vampire too?' said Elena.

The girl laughed. It sounded too sweet, so sweet it made Elena's teeth hurt.

'No,' she said, 'I am not.'

'Then what are you?'

The girl tilted her head to the side and smiled. Then, with a gust of air, she spread giant wings. Elena stumbled back as the girl hovered above them. She could not tear her eyes away from the rainbow of colours that swirled over the paper thin flesh that made up each segment of the wings. They reflected light but cast shadows. Elena had never seen anything so beautiful, yet so frightening.

'I'm a fairy,' said the girl, 'and you will come with me now.'

Elena was half-tempted to laugh but the wings loomed before her casting ripples of light over her face and the girls eyes glinted. This fairy was dangerous and while Elena's thoughts and emotions were still all over the place, she knew not to provoke the situation.

Jeremy took a step forward but Elena pulled him back. 'We will come with you,' she said, 'but first, can you tell us where we are?'

The fairy sank back to the fluffy pink surface and folded in her wings. 'You are within the Clouds.' Elena stared at her feet in wonder; she was standing on a cloud? 'And if you do not come with me to the Palace then the other vampire will die.'

Elena frowned, 'Other...' She sucked in a breath, at once elated and terrified, 'Damon...' her eyes narrowed to slits, 'have you hurt him?'

Emerald green eyes sharpened in response, 'Not yet.'

Damon _had_ come after her. He had followed Elena into this place despite all of his hurt and anger. Elena would not have blamed him if he had left her house without looking back, but she was so grateful that he had not. She had so much she needed to talk to him about. She needed to tell him what her newfound vampirism had revealed; how it had lifted the fog from her mind and made everything clear. Elena wanted Damon and with the memory of her lips on his skin and her hips against his burning in her mind, Elena knew that it was not only lust that made her crave him. She wanted Damon to hold her. She wanted to fall asleep in his arms and to wake up beside him. She wanted him to make her laugh, like he always had. She had chosen Stefan because she had been afraid but when her heart had died, so had her fear.

'We will come,' said Elena, as Jeremy strained against her strong hold.

The fairy smiled, her teeth bright, 'then sink.'

Elena started, 'Wha-...' but the fairy did just as she had said. The cloud swirled over her ankles, then her knees until her head was all that remained. Her eyes glittered. '_Sink_.' Then she was gone.

Elena stood there, still holding onto her brother who shook his head, released from the fairy's spell.

'What just happened?' he said.

'I'm not really sure but I think we should do what she says.' She looked at her hand on his sleeve, 'you okay with that?'

Jeremy looked petrified. He looked from her hand to his feet, then out at the blue sky. Elena knew what he was thinking; how far up were they? Then Jeremy's shoulders slumped. 'I guess we don't really have a choice,' he said and he stepped away from Elena as she let go.

Elena had to restrain herself as she watched him sink. She wanted to grab him and pull him back to her side and never let go but the fairy had done it, so it must be safe. When Jeremy disappeared completely Elena remembered that the fairy had wings; Jeremy did not. She shuddered and looked down at her feet. She had to move quickly, before they took Jeremy away from her as well.

But how could she make herself sink? Elena rocked back on her heels, trying to press down with all her weight but she did not move. She jumped, once lightly and then harder but still the cloud resisted her. Swearing under her breath, Elena dropped to her knees. She would push through if she had too. She dug her fingers into the cool fluff of the clouds and pulled, forgetting her new strength. The cloud tore beneath her and Elena fell through with a scream.

Hands caught her and Elena jerked upright but her eyes were fixed downwards ad she gaped. There were clouds beneath her but they were miles away; she was flying. Elena glanced at the hands holding her. There were two fairies hovering at each of her shoulders. Their faces were expressionless but beautiful, and both were female. Their grip was strong despite their spindly arms and as soon as they caught her, they started to fly forwards, their great wings as beautiful as the first fairy's had been.

'Jeremy?' shouted Elena, craning her neck in sudden panic.

'I'm here,' she heard him shout from somewhere behind her.

Elena tried to relax as she was carried forwards. The first fairy seemed to be leading them into another cloud, this one a darker shade of pink that was almost purple. Elena closed her eyes as they passed through it and when she opened them again she gasped.

There were fairies everywhere. Her eyes darted from face to face but it was impossible to see all of them. They were all small, all slim, and all female. Some looked much like the one that was leading them, dressed in little at all. Others wore armour and carried barbed spears. They were all silent, the soft flutter of their wings the only sound, and Elena's eyes were drawn to the fortress behind them.

The Palace was a giant construction of what looked like white glass. There were turrets and towers just like the ones that would be found in any child's fairy tale. But then Elena spotted the spikes along the walls and the cannons that were pointed towards them. More fairies appeared, these more heavily armoured than the others and the scent of burning filled the air. Elena thought it looked like the fairies were preparing for war and Damon was in there somewhere. Elena felt her skin crawl; she did not know what she would do if he had been hurt.

The Palace grew ever closer and soon Elena was carried inside its cool interior and placed gently back on her feet. She turned at once, reaching for Jeremy, and he took her hand in silence. They both looked ahead at the blonde fairy that had found them. She fixed them with a cold stare, not bothering to weave her previous spell.

'His Majesty is waiting for you.' She looked right at Elena, 'you must speak only when spoken too and you must do all that is asked.'

Elena said nothing. She would do what she wanted if she needed too, but that did not need to be said. She nodded and that was enough for their guide, or their captor. The blonde fairy turned and led them along the narrow passageway. The walls and floor were entirely see-through and Elena felt her head spin. She had never been the biggest fan of heights; were fears amplified when you became a vampire as well?

Soft music reached her ears long before they stepped into a gargantuan hall. The music came from hundreds of harps, dotted in every corner of the hall and every inch of the air. Beautiful fairies played, their fingers moving over the strings and their faces serene. As Elena stepped forward she heard a splash. The floor was a pool of water, two inches high at the most, but it was not wet. When she lifted her boots, they were completely dry. Elena laughed in delight. There were flowers too, of every colour, draped over the columns that ran down each side of the hall and above there was no ceiling. All Elena could see were the pink clouds. The Palace was a delight and Elena glanced back at Jeremy to see the same bright excitement in his eyes.

'You idiot,' hissed a familiar voice.

Elena whipped around. There, tied to one of the columns, was Damon. His jacket was gone and his shirt was a shredded mess. His skin was dotted with puncture wounds that had not healed and his eyes flashed rage. Elena felt heat and love and need flood her, at the same time as a rush of unbridled fury. She did not realise that her fangs were pushing through, or that her eyes had changed. All she knew was that she had to get Damon free. She charged towards him and heard a bang as something shot into her back.

Elena cried out, stumbling to her knees. Damon's face contorted, his anger replaced by concern and he struggled against his bonds but they were fixed too tightly.

Taking deep, gasping breaths, Elena reached for the shard of wood that was lodged into her back but her fingers fell short. She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain; Damon was riddled with them; how could he stand it? Jeremy, his face a grim mask, knelt beside her and plucked it out of her flesh with a whispered apology. The relief was instantaneous and Elena looked back at Damon. He shook his head and nodded towards something behind her.

The King sat on a dais at the end of the Hall. Elena supposed that he was lounging on some sort of chair but it was impossible to tell beneath his bulk. He was a horrific looking creature. His hands were the size of boulders and his face was squashed and red. A tiny diamond crown was sat upon his giant head and his smile was chock full of misplaced pride. Three particularly pretty fairies sat at his feet with collars around their necks. Their bodies were covered in bruises and the King held three chains in his hand. Elena had never felt so repulsed in her life.

'You must be the other vampire,' he said, his voice loud and excited, 'you are very pretty. You might do around here.'

'You stay away from her, slug,' Damon spat.

The King lifted the gun in his meaty fist and fired three rounds at Damon. He roared in pain and Elena flinched towards him, feeling helpless. The fact that the one positive she had taken from her new vampire status was that she would no longer be helpless, made it all that much worse.

'Fool,' the King laughed, 'one thought you might have learned to keep your mouth shut by now.'

'_One_ thinks that it's you who are the fool.'

Either the King did not hear Damon's whispered words or he chose to ignore them. He looked back at Elena, his lip curling in a way that made Elena squirm.

'Why are you here?' he said.

Elena drew herself up straighter, 'I won't answer your questions until you release my...my friend.' She glanced at Damon to find him staring at her. The memory of how she had pounced on him in her bedroom flashed into her mind and her cheeks flushed. That had not been the way she had wanted to behave. She had wanted to tell him in a way that he would believe. She had wanted to show him that she meant it.

When Elena looked back at the King his face was purple with rage. He lifted a hand and beckoned their blonde captor forward. Elena realised that the pretty fairy was terrified. She walked forwards slowly and none of the other fairies would meet her eye. When she stood ten paces away from the King she stopped and bowed.

'Closer,' he boomed.

The beautiful fairy's features were no longer harsh. They were soft in her fear and she looked very much like a little girl. Elena felt a twinge of fear herself.

As soon as the blonde fairy was close enough, the King's hand shot out and curled around her throat. He lifted her off the ground and almost her whole head was eclipsed by the size of his fist.

'Did you not tell her the rules? Did you not tell her to obey? Or have you forgotten how to obey as well? You continue to fail me Eilyn.' He spat and he frothed and Eilyn could not have answered even if she had wanted too.

'Hey,' Jeremy took a step forward, looking outraged, 'you can't treat her like that.'

The King looked up, surprised for one second. Then his mouth split wide open and he roared as he threw Eilyn with all his strength. She screamed as she tumbled through the air and crashed into Jeremy's chest. The pair of them shot backwards and landed in a crumpled mess, Eilyn's wings broken and dim.

'Jeremy,' Elena cried, taking a step towards him.

'STOP.' The King shrieked.

Jeremy managed a quick nod to reassure Elena that he was okay and she turned back to face the ferocious creature behind her.

'You,' the King pointed at Damon, 'are a rude, spiteful creature that I would happily extinguish. You,' he pointed at Jeremy,' are human and therefore useless. And you,' he pointed at Elena, 'you make me ache but you are a woman and must learn your place.' Elena bristled but held her tongue and the King continued, 'Still, I would know why you are here and if you can be of any use to me. Speak now and quickly, before I throw the men over the edge and have one of these,' he held up one of the chains and fixed beady eyes on Elena, 'made for you.'

Elena heard Damon draw in a breath. She looked at him but his eyes were on his feet. Every muscle in his body was taut with tension and she knew it was taking all that he had to contain himself. Elena spoke quickly, for his sake.

'I'm not sure how it is that we came here,' she said, 'but we were told that we could find a cure, a cure for vampirism here. If we were told wrong, then all we wish is to return home.'

The King's eyes flashed, 'I have the Cure.'

Elena's eyes widened. She felt such a burst of hope that it hurt, 'You do?'

'Yes. What would you do to obtain it?'

'Anything,' Elena gasped, 'I would do anything.'

'_Elena_...' Damon hissed, but Elena shook her head sharply. She would do _almost_ anything for that cure but the King did not need to know the details.

'Then despite your rudeness, I have an offer for you. I want you to kill the Saltman. Do that, and the Cure is yours.'

Elena frowned, 'The Saltman?'

The King waved a hand, 'I can't be bothered to bore myself with the details. Eilyn,' he barked, 'take them to the Prison Tank. You can fill them in. I'm tired and hungry.' Then the King clapped his hands and looked away from them. At once more fairies flooded into the room carrying casks of drink and platters overflowing with food. For one second Elena was too surprised by the abrupt end to the conversation to move. But she did not wait to watch whatever madness was about to unfold. She was by Damon's side in a moment and ripping off his chains.

'You're a bloody idiot,' he hissed, 'for jumping through that door. You're a bloody idiot for coming here. I'm a bloody idiot for coming after you.' When the last chain fell free Damon dropped but Elena caught him. She sank to her knees, her arms around him and his scowl inches from her face.

'So we're both idiots,' she whispered, looking down at him and smiling because he was with her, 'get over it.'

His nostrils flared but once his eyes met hers he stopped grumbling. He braced himself as Elena started pulling the wood shards from his flesh. A part of her could think only of the pain that he was in and how much she wanted to make it stop. The rest could think only of the fact that her fingers were touching the bare flesh of his chest.

'I won't so anything for him, Elena.'

Elena glanced back at him in surprise. There was something in his eyes that Elena recognised well, a flame of unquenchable stubbornness.

'And if he has the Cure?'

'There is no Cure.'

Elena flinched. She pulled the last shard with a little less care. 'There might be.'

Damon sighed heavily and started to stand but Elena gripped him and pulled him back to her lap and their awkward seat on the floor.

'Wait,' she said, unable to look him directly in the eye. 'I need to...I need to talk to you.' She took his hand and squeezed it, running her thumb across his palm. She felt him tense but did not let go. 'Something happened when I became a vampire and...'

'We really cannot wait all day,' drawled a bored voice.

Elena glanced over her shoulder. Eilyn was watching them, tapping her foot against the enchanted water. Her fear of the King had vanished without a trace and her eyes were sharp with condescension once more. Jeremy was standing beside her, staring at her with a mixture of wonder and fear.

It was then that an armoured fairy burst into the hall shrieking, 'He's here. The Saltman is here.'

A giant hose followed her and as screams of alarm shot up around them, the hose expelled a literal flood of water. Elena felt Damon pull her to his chest as the water blasted them backwards.

**AN: I'm not sure if I should continue this. Maybe it's a little too odd? If you're enjoying it and want to see it continued then please leave a review. I'm quite enjoying writing it at least!**


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